Iowans are pretty serious about hunting and so too are some of the Trumps. The sons of the Republican presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, Jr. and his younger brother, Eric, are in Iowa for the the caucus, but they managed to squeeze in some pheasant hunting while they were here, and they invited me and a few other reporters to join them.
They acknowledge they were looking for a photo op to prove that despite being fancy New Yorkers, they share a pastime beloved by many Iowans. But as I learned today, they’re also pretty good shots.
Their father does not hunt, but both brothers have been hunting since they were kids, introduced to the sport by their maternal grandfather, who encouraged them to embrace the great outdoors during summers spent with him in what was then Czechoslovakia, a life altogether different than the one they lived on Fifth Avenue.
And both brothers credit a love of the outdoor for keeping them grounded during that childhood of privilege. They say they know some Americans don’t understand the appeal of the sport and especially their fondness for big-game hunting in Africa, which has drawn the ire of online critics. But they are ardent defenders of what they see as the legacy of Teddy Roosevelt: hunting as a pastime complimentary to conservation.
